Did you see the video of the elderly man who went to his Capitol to testify against trans kids but he ended up sitting in the overflow room and listened to two hours of testimony and completely changed his mind on trans kids? Some of them are still reachable.
Hope is a beautiful thing 🏳️⚧️
As long as there's life, there's hope.
I'm convinced that most transphobes have never met a trans person.
Which explains why they are all trying to force trans men into the women’s bathrooms. 🙄They have no idea. They think of trans people and they see corporal klinger
That's an interesting thought. I wonder who transphobes think of when they think of trans people.
They think of male transvestites. They also can’t stop thinking about them apparently
It is beyond my comprehension why some people can't just leave other people alone.
Yep. Haters gotta hate🙄
Naw. As the mother of trans kids, I know family members have met my kids and they’re still transphobes.
This is 100% accurate. Most homophobic people in general either do not have LGBTQIA friends, and/or they're stuck in their religious beliefs. I conducted a study on this in college for a class and that was the overwhelming evidence.
Speaking as someone who unlearned hate, I agree.
I think this is true in a lot of cases. I had a friend since childhood that became pro MAGA, and the last conversation I had with him had I tried to explain that he had put down many of my other friends over the previous few years, be they Muslim, trans, black, etc., and it disappointed me.
/2 His only response was to send me a video criticizing Caitlyn Jenner. As a very public figure, she's been involved in some controversy, but so have many more cis. I'm convinced this is the only exposure he's had to any trans people. However, I'm not confident he'd be willing to open up to
/3 getting to know any transgender person better, due to being programmed so deeply against them. There are reasons we don't speak anymore. 😿
I also think that one of the reasons that transphobes don't know any trans people is that trans people avoid them to stay safe.
Or their “friends” know that they’re not a safe person to be out to…
Same with those who hate and disparage black people.
100%. I know a shitload of people who will readily admit to never having met one. Now whether that's actually true, maybe they have met one and just didn't know it, I don't know.
I did this was in Wisconsin we’re I live.🥰
Everyone is reachable. The unforced error of progressives was insistence on people changing routine behaviors before enough of the population came around to understand it.
Some of us “elderly people” grew up with LGBTQ family members, neighbors, colleagues & friends, so the primary issue was when would they be allowed to be themselves outside their safe zones. We may be “elderly”, but knew, accepted & loved such people before it became “woke”.
You're right. I never ever gave a thought to it. From a child, you realize it takes all types of people to make up the world. It's accepted. I can't imagine how boring it would be if everyone looked and thought like me.
I think most people are reachable. Ignorance and fear breed intolerance. Knowledge and exposure are the cure. One of my closest friends was homophobic until her own son came out. It was a painful time for her but now she is a strong supporter of gay rights,
They just need to listen.
It goes both ways. Whether their fears are based in fact or not, it's still real to them. Fear rarely survives experience though.
No. Show it to me!
youtu.be/My5Cut76Yec?...
Many are better people than they are made out to be. They're scared and frustrated and feel like Democrats never fight for them. (Schumer didn't help.) Democrats act like they are too good to campaign in these districts, so who's gonna vote for them? How can you win if you don't even try?
This is why I always supported Howard Dean's 50 state strategy. He got snubbed in 2004, and Democrats have been paying for it ever since.
Good for Larry, but he doesn’t seem like a deep thinker or high information voter anyway. We need a concerted education campaign that might reach the Larrys of the world— which Republicans do and Democrats don’t. Dems are wretched communicators.
Turn his story into a Netflix documentary. Send him to all the morning shows. Get Oprah to interview him.
I haven’t seen it, but that makes me so happy to hear.
We have to make a place for people to change. Reconciliation is NOT forgiveness. It’s not starting over clean slate. Reconciliation doesn’t deny the past. It’s starting today you get another chance and will judge you by your conduct starting now. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP82PCBTP/
"vive l'humanité"
Hold your ground. Welcome converts. 🙌
Sadly, they have to be essentially held captive to listen to facts.
Some. Very few. Most have to experience something subjective....otherwise they are disinterested in empathy. Their bigotry overrides everything including religious beliefs.
I'm afraid of clowns. What are clowns? I've never been afraid of a Trans person.
You’d be an idiot to hate what you don’t know. But . . .
I hope that's a true story because that's powerful. John Q. Public needs an education.
It is, I live in Wisconsin we’re this took place. ☺️
www.pride.com/politics/ant... ✊✊✊✊✊
Lies and propaganda have poisoned peoples minds.
Once you talk to a trans person you quickly realize they just want to exist in the world as they have been created! They are intelligent and interesting people. Bigotry and sexism of any kind is typically surrounded by a lack of actual awareness due to long held beliefs.
Tonight I heard my neighbor yell that Trump is killing his freaking stocks and he voted for a fucker twice. Gotta hit them in the pocketbook some of these people.
This gives me hope. Thanks!
Someone commented "There she is, that's the America I onow" and I cried.
I found that so many people hate what they do not understand. Instead of trying to educate oneself they simply shut down and immediately reject the unknown. It's the same with race, religion, philosophy, etc. and you can even throw in art, music, science, etc.
hearing tolerance for the first time can be transformative🌈🌟
A lot of people don't have their minds set in stone and conversations with them can let you find reasonable middle ground Most of us want the same things we just disagree on how to define them/what barriers are in the way/what strategies to reach those things Outreach matters now more than ever
So true! We all want our basic needs met. The moment we can get to that level and connect, there is a way forward together! Optimistic greetings 👋🏼
Yes!
I hadn't, thank you for that uplifting news! I really needed it today.
Wisconsin state assembly. www.queerty.com/wisconsin-ma...
Thanks that is moving and enlightening.
What a beautiful story. If people take the opportunity to be educated, and listen to their fellow humans, the world would be a better place for sure. THANK YOU LARRY.
I was a big homophobic fundamentalist kid and the biggest change in my perception was working for a lesbian boss. My Southern training to be polite crashed into my being a stupid teen bigot. Weirdly, I later found out she thought I was the least homophobic person there.
My experience comes with the big caveat that it was not the responsibility of anyone to "teach" me. I fully own being an asshole who was responsible for his own beliefs and everyone else should have treated me as such. Do not confuse malice and ignorance even if they go hand in hand.
As someone that's only just realized I'm trans, this gives me hope.
💙❤️💛🧡🩵💚
Such good news!
We need talking points on how to reach our MAGA lite or low information friends and family. Or perhaps posts/videos on what issues are most effective to move them.
Living in a very Red county, we have found casual chats can work, especially now when changes are so huge. “I’m worried about my friend’s mom in the nursing home. Did you know 70% of the elderly in our state in nursing homes are on Medicaid?” Or “Wow, I’ve been trying to eat so clean but with the 1/
tariffs on Mexico and so many of our fruits and vegetables coming from there, I’m won’t be able to afford it anymore.” “Have you noticed so many of the roofers around town last year (tornadoes) seemed to be immigrants? I wonder if they’ll stick around in our state now?” 2/
Yes, self serving when we want to say “Can’t you just care about your neighbor?” but some people can only change their mind when it will affect them.
You're absolutely right. Things need to be framed as to how they affect them. So sad the lack of compassion for others.
I don’t get their hard hearts. If all else fails, I have used the laying a hand on their arm and apologizing with “I’m sorry. Sometimes my Christianity just gets in the way and I have to go with what Jesus calls me to do.” Works best on the sanctimonious. And leaves me feeling better
Lol
You sound pretty amazing. I really respect your approach and am going to try it with my MAGA neighbor
Wrt Canadian issues I spent the last 2 days writing an open letter to family/friends in the US. It outlines his propaganda re: Canada, fact checks it (citing each source from its origin), speaks to morality and apathy, and suggests a way forward.
I hope it works. So many Americans are so far down the RW rabbit hole that I wonder if they'll trust cited facts.
Likely not. Maybe publicly shame them a bit in that they will know that the entire family received the letter. I am hoping to connect to those on the fence. But more importantly, to give talking points to the others. Maybe the effect of ‘you tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends & so on.’
The older I get, I'm 75, the better I become at not paying attention to the diffences between people. Acceptance of things that don't actually hurt anyone helps create a nice calm place to live your life. Mixed with my hatred of Trump is some pity that he hasn't learned this.
I did. Good video 👍🏼
💯 Many folks are drinking from a firehose of propaganda constantly. In some places, everywhere you go there is a TV on the wall with Fox News spewing lies 24/7. Their peer group, their co-workers, their family…coming from all sides. Some are reachable, and it doesn’t take many to infect others.
The GOP has groomed rural Americans for 50+ years to hate. Most of these culture war issues never ever effect people in rural communities. I grew up in rural Indiana, in a county that still has 1 high school for the entire county! They're groomed to vote Republican & believe every lie they're told.
All they need are the facts and to see the humans impacted.
Exposure helps too. Meeting someone that is trans and putting a human face on the monster they've got living in their heads. Representation matters...
Here’s the video, Jess. Thx for bringing it up. Everyone needs to see these stories. Minds can be changed. www.reddit.com/r/JustGuysBe...
I didn't quite understand why he was there initially since he said he didn't really "know too much about gay people and things like that". He was going to protest a bill for gender affirming care without even understanding the issue.
Most people form opinions without understanding
I'm not sure that applies to "most" people, but there's a difference between holding a personal opinion and making an effort to publicly speak out against a bill that affects people you admittedly know nothing about.
It does!!! There’s research!!! Knowledge plays a TEENY TINY role in determining things like risk perceptions or intended behavior! Azjen’s work covers a bunch of intended behaviors: people.umass.edu/aizen/pubs/k... 1/
Knowledge does not explain behavior! “knowledge…was largely irrelevant for determining environmentally friendly intentions and behaviors”… “addition of knowledge…did not explain variance [for] drinking alcohol behaviors and intentions…” 2/
Similar findings that knowledge is not super important for predicting behavior and intentions related to Islam for non-Muslim students 3/
We have a few similar studies are climate change risk perceptions: for general public, knowledge does not matter for risk perception. For college students, knowledge matters a teeeeeny bit. 4/
Study on voting in elections (not an easy read): To paraphrase: All voters use emotional shortcuts, regardless of their degree of political knowledge, while only informed voters rely on rational thought to cast a vote…. www.cambridge.org/core/journal... 5/
This all means people behave irrationally and attitudes, political affiliation, your friends’ expectations, ad naseum are MUCH better predictors of behavior than knowledge…tho getting people to be informed could help /END
Jess i think most would be if only they would open their minds
No! Link?
www.queerty.com/wisconsin-ma...
TY!
This is the way! It seems small yet of you can reach just one person.
💙
I did, and that was the best video I viewed here today.
Too Little, Too Late
The dude is like 90 and came around. Apparently within the time span of one meeting, that gives me hope.
OK, I’ll buy it.
Where can I find this?!
youtu.be/My5Cut76Yec?...
I am so impressed! I'd like to see all of my favorite hosts on MSNBC interview this man!
yes! just posted it. i think people are reachable. i think the massive info warfare and psy-ops Bannon orchestrated a decade ago worked— ppl were brainwashed. they CAN wake up if exposed to reality.
I grew up in Bible Belt Missouri in the 70s and 80s, indoctrinated into the belief system of that time and place. It was 180 degrees from where I sit now. With the opportunity to learn something different, to be exposed to other experiences and perspectives, people can change.
That was in Wisconsin. My friend gave some amazing testimony. www.facebook.com/share/v/1AKh...
Ohhhhh! ❤️
I was out of town for this one. My son and I testified the last time they tries these bills. They won’t stop. I’m glad our Democratic governor will veto.
I saw a video short yesterday. Was looking to see if there was a longer video. I was very impressed with him. Shows what happens with an open mind and opportunity to meet new people. youtube.com/shorts/xp-im...
I did.
This is why I advocate for messaging to reach deep red areas. You need to talk to people where they are. The country will be a lost cause if we keep doing things the way we have been. Call it the red creep, and it is happening.
I haven't heard a thing about this, and that is part of the problem. I so wish MSM would air these kinds of stories instead of just repeating lies. Wouldn't that be shocking? 🤦🏼♀️ I'm so glad you shared this news because we need hope. Thanks for all you do.
MSNBC is actually airing some stories like this. Rachel tries to have a segment in her show each night.
Made me cry . . . Maybe there is hope for humanity after all . . .
No. He did that on his own. That's their job, not ours.
Agreed
For most, it's fear of the unknown. Something different. Different from self and that's unsettling. Knowing the people behind a frightening label helps.
Your voice matters
Shut down Washington DC. Nothing goes in. Nothing comes out until he surrenders to Gitmo. #ResistResistResist #TreasonIsTheEnd #BeyondImpeachment #NoDiscussion
And this is why you saw a house member stand up for Sarah McBride. They finally met a trans person. Made a trans friend. Saw a trans person exist.
Yup❤️
It’s much easier to dehumanize and demonize groups of people you’ve never really come in contact with, whether it’s trans kids, immigrants, people of a different race or religion. Humans fear the unknown and the GOP have been masters at stoking and feeding that fear.
I’d love a link to that!!
youtu.be/My5Cut76Yec?...
Thank you!! 💙
Some of them. Some are empathetic people who are just victims of misinformation and decades of propaganda. Others are just hateful people.
Yes, that was in Wisconsin. I'm from Wisconsin and I flipped my Dad. Now that he's, um..."woke" 😂 and he'll never vote for another Republican again.
Thank you
Wow! Bless him
I'm 77. Not all old people have flapping lips while having a closed mind. Some of us were raised by educated parents.
Fear and ignorance are our main enemies right now. The more you know about an issue...the more likely you are to make rational decisions...
Thanks for sharing!
100%
